Tuesday, December 12, 2006

Saudi military chopper plunges into sea; 1 missing

A Saudi military helicopter plunged into the Red Sea Tuesday during a training exercise, Saudi Arabia's official news agency said. Authorities had rescued the pilot and co-pilot but were searching for a third crew member.The official, who was identified only as being from the defense ministry, said the aircraft experienced technical difficulties causing it to crash immediately after taking off from a ship this afternoon, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Details on the location of the incident and the exact time it occurred were not provided.

Saudi Arabia has the longest coastline of the seven countries that overlook the Red Sea.